Property Vertical Director

Heffernan Insurance Brokers•Walnut Creek, CA

12h

About The Position

The Property Vertical Director is responsible for leading, developing, and scaling the firm's Property practice. This role combines strategic leadership, market expertise, broker enablement, and revenue growth within wholesale brokerage operations. Working closely with the executive team, the Property Vertical Director will define the vertical's vision, drive carrier and retail broker engagement, develop differentiated solutions, and position the firm as a market leader in commercial property insurance and catastrophe-exposed risks.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in commercial property insurance, brokerage, underwriting, or wholesale distribution.
Deep expertise in large commercial property placements and market dynamics.
Proven success in developing carrier and broker relationships.
Strong understanding of property underwriting, catastrophe modeling, and coverage structures.
Demonstrated leadership and business development capabilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading a property practice or business unit.
Wholesale brokerage background.
Established property carrier relationships.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

Own and execute the strategic direction for the Property vertical.
Define the vertical's value proposition, market positioning, and growth roadmap.
Establish underwriting focus, target industries, and property product offerings.
Serve as the internal subject matter expert on commercial property risks, CAT exposures, valuation challenges, and market trends.
Develop strategies for large property schedules, shared and layered placements, and specialty property programs.
Drive new business growth through strategic relationships with retail brokers, carriers, and MGAs.
Partner with brokers to identify, pursue, and close complex property placements.
Support key accounts and large-loss exposed opportunities.
Manage renewal production to achieve retention and profitability objectives.
Track pipeline performance and vertical growth metrics.
Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with property carriers and reinsurers.
Negotiate capacity, pricing, coverage enhancements, and program structures.
Expand market access for catastrophe-exposed and difficult-to-place risks.
Stay current on CAT modeling, capacity shifts, valuation trends, and underwriting appetites.
Train producers on property coverage structures, market conditions, and placement strategies.
Develop property-focused marketing tools and educational resources.
Serve as an escalation point for large and complex submissions.
Support onboarding and development of producers within the Property practice.
Partner with Operations, Marketing, and Leadership to grow the Property vertical.
Develop thought leadership, market updates, and client-facing resources.
Improve submission quality, workflows, and operational efficiency.
Ensure compliance with carrier and regulatory guidelines.
Monitor property market conditions, CAT exposure trends, and emerging risks.
Represent the firm at industry conferences, carrier meetings, and client events.
Publish insights related to property insurance market developments.